The 2018 iCMLf Prize is awarded to Hemant Malhotra from India 

'The award recognises Hemant’s remarkable achievements in CML management in a challenging environment and his work to improve outcomes for CML patients.' 
(Timothy Hughes, Chairman of the iCMLf)

The iCMLf Directors and Advisors have selected Dr Hemant Malhotra, Senior Professor at the SMS Medical College Hospital and Head of the Division of Medical Oncology at the RK Birla Cancer Centre in Jaipur (India) as the 2018 iCMLf Prize winner. Dr Malhotra receives the prize in recognition of his tireless efforts and remarkable achievements to advance the treatment of CML patients in India and neighbouring countries.

This prize is awarded by the Foundation for outstanding contributions to the improvement of CML treatment under the challenging conditions of emerging economic countries with unequal access to monitoring and treatment.

Dr Malhotra has helped in many ways to improve the treatment and care of CML patients in India:

• Through the creation of key centres of excellence in India

He set up the Medical Oncology Division in the Department of Medicine at the SMS Hospital in Jaipur in 2008, the first in Rajasthan. Very recently, he has been instrumental in establishing a Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit at the SMS Hospital where the first autologous bone marrow transplantation in Rajasthan was performed.

• Through developing and enhancing molecular monitoring facilities

With the help of an iCMLf Diagnosis and Testing grant he has made BCR-ABL RQ-PCR testing available at his institution. Facilitated after a 3-week preceptorship at the Hammersmith Hospital in London he managed to make kinase-domain mutation testing available through sequencing at the institution. Currently only a research tool, this will soon be offered as a regular clinical service. He has also managed to make DNA melting curve analysis by RT-PCR available as a possible screening test for KD mutation and cartridge-based testing for BCR-ABL with the GeneXpert system.

• Through the development of local Indian guidelines

He is member of the sub-committee of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) that has developed and published Indian guidelines for the treatment of MPN & CML. He is also Head of the Leukemia Lymphoma Committee at the Indian Cooperative Oncology Network (ICON) and has been involved in the development of the WHO biosimilar guidelines.

• Through medical education and as principal investigator

As an internationally recognised medical oncologist, Dr Malhotra has authored more than 200 international and national publications & presentations and is member of many international and Indian societies and organisations. Dr Malhotra has also conducted CML specific CME programs throughout Rajasthan over the past 2 to 3 years. He is the Principal Investigator for many international and national clinical trials for CML drugs and is member of the Data Safety and Monitoring Board (DSMB) for the development of new oncology drugs. He is also the present President of the Indian Society of Medical & Pediatric Oncology (ISMPO).

Dr Malhotra is Professor of Medicine at the SMS Medical College Hospital and serves as Head of the division of Medical Oncology at the RK Birla Cancer Center. He graduated and post-graduated at the SMS Medical College and completed fellowships at the Tata Memorial Cancer Center in Mumbai and the Cornell Medical Center and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.